CBI takes over probe into Punjab anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota’s killing

• The CBI has registered a case and taken over the investigation into anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota’s killing in Punjab’s Mansa

• A special team comprising forensic, drug control and GST experts has reached the district and sought case records from police

• Jhota’s family has withheld consent for his post-mortem and cremation, demanding justice after he was shot on 13 October

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case and assumed charge of the investigation into the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Punjab’s Mansa, officials said on Wednesday.

A specially constituted team reached Mansa on Tuesday night and formally sought investigation records and other relevant documents from the local police. Alongside investigators, the team includes drug control, forensic and GST experts, officials said.

Senior officers, led by a deputy inspector general, were scheduled to meet Jhota’s family at the Mansa Circuit House at 11.30 am on Wednesday to record their accounts and concerns.

The takeover follows Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s announcement on Tuesday that the case would be handed to the central agency, accepting a demand repeatedly raised by the activist’s family.

In a Punjabi-language post on X, Mann expressed solidarity with Jhota’s father and other family members. He said the government remained committed to combating drug trafficking and would take the steps necessary to make Punjab drug-free.

Jhota, known for campaigning against the illegal sale of addictive substances through chemist shops, was shot inside a medical store in a crowded Mansa market on 13 October.

According to the account under investigation, he had confronted the shop’s owner, Ashwani Kumar, over the alleged sale of drugs to an elderly man. Kumar allegedly opened fire during the confrontation. Jhota was broadcasting live on Facebook when the incident occurred.

Kumar was subsequently taken into custody in Salasar, Rajasthan.

The killing has intensified political exchanges in Punjab ahead of Assembly elections expected early next year, bringing renewed attention to drug abuse and the safety of those campaigning against it.

More than a week after the shooting, Jhota’s post-mortem and cremation remain pending. His family and supporters have refused to proceed with the last rites, insisting on justice.

With PTI inputs